NFL approves contingency plan for playoffs, minority hire rewards

NFL owners unanimously approved a proposal to add one playoff team to each conference if meaningful regular-season games are canceled due to COVID-19 issues, commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The arrangement would not involve reseeding teams in the postseason.

Under the new CBA signed in the offseason, the league added two teams to its postseason - one per conference - expanding the playoff field from 12 to 14 clubs.

The NFL has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases across the league recently and has reportedly discussed expanding the regular season by a week in order to combat the outbreak.

On Tuesday, owners also approved a proposal to reward teams for developing minority coaches and front-office executives who become head coaches or general managers elsewhere, according to Pelissero. The proposal now needs to be approved by the NFLPA.

Clubs would be awarded third-round compensatory picks in the following two drafts if a minority candidate is hired as a head coach or general manager, per Albert Breer of The MMQB.

Earlier this year, the NFL made Rooney Rule enhancements requiring teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coaching jobs, one minority candidate for any coordinator vacancies, and one external minority candidate for senior football operations or general manager positions.

The Rooney Rule was established in 2003 and originally mandated that every team must interview at least one minority candidate for a head coaching or general manager vacancy before making a hire.

As of November 2020, the NFL has five minority head coaches and two minority GMs.